Effect of humic acid on the photolysis of the pesticide atrazine in a surfactant-aided soil-washing system in acidic condition

The photolytic destruction of Atrazine (ATZ) following a surfactant-aided soil-washing process was investigated in the presence of humic acid (HA). A non-ionic surfactant, Brij 35, was found to be a good solving agent, extracting ATZ without causing any retardation effect on the photolysis process. However, the HA that was co-extracted from the surfactant-aided soil-washing system was found to be capable of improving the photolysis of ATZ at low concentrations, while quenching the photodegradation of ATZ at higher concentrations. By considering the light attenuation effect due to surfactant and HA, the quantum yields of the system with respect to the proposed reaction mechanisms of the associated excited states of ATZ were investigated and modeled. The relative kinetic rates of the dominant reaction mechanisms (i.e., deactivation of triplet, direct photolysis of triplet, product formation, and quenching of triplet) were then compared.